Alloy



Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y. Molybdenum Company,

Beutte, i ol, Austria No Drawing. Original application Septeinlxar 12,

1935, Serial m. 40,302.

Divided -andthis 81 pliaiion November 13, 1937, Serial No. 174,352. In Germany September 12, 1934 I -3 Claims. This invention relates to an alloy and a composite body containing this alloy, which is in particular suitable as electrical contact material.

This application forms a divisional application of my copending application Serial Number 40,302, filed September 12, 1935, for alloys particularly adapted for electrical contacts and electrodes, and a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 30,151, filed July 6,

1935, for an alley or compound material suitable as electric contact material. V 7

Alloys adapted for electrical electrodes and contacts, or parts thereof, are to be made according to this previous'suggestinn of metal of the copper group and cadmium. The content of cadmium may amount fmm'0.1% to about 10%.

"lhisalloycanbeusedassuehorasadmixtureor prealloyor may be added to other metal. As examples of metals alloying with the copper alloy to a certain extent, magnesium, beryllium, silver, gold may be mentioned. One or more of such metals may be added to the copper alloy preferably in amounts from about 0.1% to about 5% and more. As metals which substantially .do not alloy with a copper alloy, tungsten, molybdenum andtantalummaybemenfloned. 7

According to this invention, boron in amounts eta-bout 0.1% to about 5 7 basic copper alloy, is added.

"Swim-instance, analloyaccordingto thisinvenflonmay'consistot96.5% copper, 3% cadnilnn and 0.5% boron. r Anothercompositionmayconsistofflil'it copper, 4%sllve'r, 1% cadmium and 0.3% boron.

Still anothertionmayconsistoi'about 93.5% to 90.5% copper, about 0.3% to 5% boron,

- and sllverand 1 to 8%, the silver amounting within that'total to 1% to about 5.9% and the cadmium amounting within 4|) tbattotalto0;1%toabout5%. Analloyo! such or equivalent dthm-befliapedtofonntheairfleeporflonofa eontlegorelectrodaegotaswltchorota Helium-electrode. In general, the mterialac- 45' coming tothh invention is advantageomly used imany electroderor portion thereof, subjected,

may be,to hixlrelech'iealloads and mdimdero xidizingconditkmasuchainopen malloyingmetnlreien'edtoabovesuchas and/mbqyllianamgcalculated upon the may nesium, tin, up to about 5% and more. Such a boron containing coppeizalloy may, however, also be added to other metals such as tungsten, molyb- 'denum and tantalum, these metals amounting up to about 80% of the final composite body which 5 may then be shaped to form the desired contact or electrode, or part thereof.

The material according to the invention proves of great hardness and resistance to mechanical deformation, also under strenuous operating con-:10 ditions. In particular, such material may be used for contacts of welding needing very quick opening and closing, or folwelding electrodescarry ing high current and being pressed on theworkpiece. They do not 'get warm either to an unde-P 15 sirable degree during operation.

By the addition of boron particularly a finer crystalline structure may be obtained. Further-'- more any are originating between'such contacts while in. operation, extingulshes quicker under 20 an apparent deionizing' action of the contact material. The surface of the contact remains smoothv during a longer time of operation than the known ones, obviously due to the fact that the boron present prevents sticking of copper ox- 25 ides, it .formed, to the surface of the contact. The small addition of boron prolongs, also, the life of contacts containing cadmium without reducing their electrical conductivity. 1

It is to be understood that the invention is not so restricted to any particular use referred to here- 'in, but may be used for any other electrical purpose and parts of electrical devices.

What I claim is: 1.- Analloy, particularly adapted forpurposes and as prealloy for electrical material; consisting of 94.7% copper, 4% silver, 1% cad-- mium and 0.3% boron.

2. electrical contact or welding electrode the surface layer of which is exposed to arcing, con 40 sisting of about 93.5% to about 98.5% copper, about 0.3% to 5% boron, about 1%to 5.9% silver and about 0.1%;to 5% cadmium, the totalof said silver and cadmium not exceeding about 6%.

3..An alloy resistive to mechanical wear'and o xidation, particularly adapted for electrical purposes including contacts and welding electrodes and as a pre-alloy for electrical material, consisting of about 0.1% to about. 5% boron, about 0.1% to 10% cadmium, about toabout 98.5% a copper and about 0.1% to about 6% silver.

- mus I scnwaazx'orr.

electrical s5 

